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Congratulations to former Demonland Sponsored Player Jayden Hunt on coming 4th in the West Coast Eagles Best & Fairest. JOHN WORSFOLD MEDAL TOP 10 1. Tim Kelly - 200 votes 2. Oscar Allen - 163 3. Liam Duggan - 158 4. Jayden Hunt - 116 5. Shannon Hurn - 102 6. Bailey Williams - 101 7. Andrew Gaff - 85 8. Alex Witherden - 84 =9. Tom Barrass - 79 =9. Noah Long - 79

Let's not rewrite history - he looked absolutely stoked to be playing earlier this season, celebrating goals and wins with exuberance, going in to bat for teammates, etc.

Grundy has been nothing but committed and passionate. He has done absolutely nothing wrong. Both he and Gawn wants this to work but unfortunately it hasn’t. If he wasn’t playing alongside Gawn I doubt he’d be the one dropped. As Gawn said he was lucky to have the C next to his name because he wasn’t performing either. I am sure Brodie is very disappointed at this turn of events. He came to us wanting to win a flag and make a strong partnership with Gawn work. He probably is very upset at the thought he might be at his third club in 3 years, when he never wanted to leave the Pies to begin with. I have nothing but respect for how he’s carried himself and I have no doubt that if he goes at season’s end he won’t burn the club on the way out.

Jayden Hunt finished 4th in Eagles B & F. Well done Jayden.

Um... he got dropped after games where it could be argued he outperformed Gawn (neither looking great at the time, though fatigue/wet weather could have been factors), and has subsequently put his head down at the VFL culminating with a high-possession multi-goal game last week. Beside the point, though, because there's plently of evidence refuting the claim that it never looked like he really cared. One example being his devil horns hand sign he made after several of his goals this year. That has all the hallmarks of a player with 100% buy-in to a team.

Rubbish...utter rubbish

It's irrelevant how old Gawn is. Unless he's retiring at season's end, Grundy is gone. He's too good to play back up VFL. Staggering some can't see this. We'll facilitate a trade and improve our list in another area at the expense of not being able to call on an elite ruckman if Max goes down. IMV, we've already told Grundy to explore his options, no hard feelings and told him we'll facilitate a trade. We're not going to hold him to a contract and make him play VFL for two more years. That's not how you attract other good players, and it's not the best use of TPP. Think logically here.

What . Are you in the media? Grundy came bursting in when a dirty Richmond player drove his knee into JVR on the ground after taking a mark. Tossed the young punk aside. He was also involved in a few other scrapes with opponents when teams were sizing us up. Silly them! Grundy loved it. Grundy is a Dee so keep him.

Kalani White is now 197cm and taller than Jeff. He achieved All Australian hours at Under 16 level at this year’s national carnival and now apparently, a premiership with his local team.

Cal Twomey asked Paul Connors - it’s between Coll and Grundy for the life of the contract. There is no deal between Melb and Coll.

The boys won’t care how wet it is. In the first 8 weeks of 2021 we played in the rain about 4-5 times and won them all. This season we’ve lost a couple of close ones in the wet and some of our best footy came in the pouring rain during the third quarter of the Port game where we piled on 7 goals. Us being no good in the rain is a little overblown I think.

Agreed. It was the right thing for the Club. But not for him. I was making the distinction because to say he did the right thing moving to the west implies he wanted to go and therefore made a choice to go. Anyways, he’s gone, and of course everyone here wishes him well. Fourth in their B&F is an achievement of which to be proud. I just miss him ‘s all. 🙁

Are we going to hear any more Cometti-isms from Binman this week? Last week's "As a backman, Turner goes into overdrive" was gold. Was surprised that Binman's witticism seemed to go unnoticed by his co-commentators.

This post may be written in jest, but I really don't like it. Cox wears his glasses to stop him from going blind from another eye injury. It's OK not to like him, but let's not wish him a serious, life-changing injury.

Can somebody rip the Yank's goggles off? Put their knees into him like he did to Max QB2022? I despise him, he's a bog ordinary bully.

Pies fans are nervous. they deservedly finished first but get the worst draw of all. suck it. Mates i’ve spoken too are not confident This QF for me is as big as a PF. whoever wins has one hand on the premiership cup [censored] im fired up!!!

“Racing the clock” LOL. Poor old channel 9… got nothing but need to keep their viewers interested. Nothing has changed… Fritta will play on Thursday. And if his mood has anything to do with it, he’ll play very, very well. Rest assured.

This gem from the Collingwood board: “Given this year's scenario, why not have Cwood v Port at the MCG?- Cwood get advantage for finishing top and Port still play an interstate final. Brisbane v Melb at Gabba - Brisbane get home final and Melb don't get any advantage”

i imagine his manager advised him, if only to better understand his options. he's approaching his twilight years and wants to play afl, not vfl. he's got a guaranteed salary (v. good) for 4 years but wants to give value playing in a senior team. he's allowed to have some pride. i don't think his commitment can be questioned.

Can't you be committed to your currently employer when you are 'at work' and still explore other options? Or is that just possible in the rest of society? Every human, at some existential point in their life (often accompanied by a moody rainy afternoon and a vinyl record of The Smiths playing in the background...oh thats just me in my 40's), questions their career choices. We're constantly looking for the job that fills our proverbial emptiness. AFL players, with their athletic theatrics and ephemeral stardom, are not immune to this human experience. Their time under the limelight is finite. The AFL isn’t some omnipotent god, but it does understand these cosmic complexities. They've not only recognised this dance but, in a modern twist, made it kosher. Imagine, if you will, being in a rock band and not being able to discuss joining another band until your current album tour ends. Sounds absurd, right? Now, the media, the perennial puppet masters - they love to add a splash of melodrama. But if you, like a keen-eyed detective from a 70s noir film, sift through their hyperbolic tales, you'd see that this AFL-sanctioned tango is less Shakespearean tragedy and more just a reflection of life's mundane realities. Here's the kicker: The AFL isn't some isolated, mystical realm. It mirrors the very world we all inhabit. I see most players (in this case Brodie Grundy) as a kind of modern-day Odysseus, tied to the mast of his/her ship. On one side, there's the beckoning call of Port Adelaide and Sydney - new adventures, and perhaps a more enticing narrative for his own footy odyssey. On the other, there's the somewhat calm waters of The Demons, a team perched on the precipice of glory, and not playing a meaningful game day role. This isn't just a choice; it's a metaphysical conundrum. It's Bob Dylan standing at the crossroads, contemplating the electric guitar while folk purists cry foul. It's the tension of Luke Skywalker, torn between the pull of the Dark Side and the path of the Jedi. The real question here isn’t about loyalty, nor is it about the lures of a different shore. It’s about identity. Who is Brodie Grundy in this sprawling epic of his own life? From the punters perspective, there's a natural desire to see players as eternal, unchanging fixtures of their favorite teams. But that is reductionist. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and can't be neatly boxed. And it's all sanctioned by the AFL in the public view, because it takes up bandwith...

I find it incredible that people continue to make these sweeping predictions of what next year will look like (or any year), and yet every year we seem to bring someone out of the VFL program 'out of nowhere' and they become best 22. I get the fun in predicting the best 22 come finals this year, but next year is a completely new slate and anything can happen. My approach is to be ready to be surprised and that's exciting in itself.

What he is is Sam Stynes' husband. Bit of Demon royalty there! He, David Rennick and Kate Roffey make a powerful combo at any table where our future base is being planned or negotiated.

You do realise the last time Hibberd played on Elliott was last year round 21 and Elliot taught him a lesson and kicked 4 on Hibbo right... So many are so fixated on Hibberd playing when he's clearly just about done as a footballer. Goody not playing him in a full game since Geelong where Gary Rohan also taught him a lesson is why he hasn't been able to break in. Some serious lack of respect for McVee who's done the big jobs on the likes of Dusty and Charlie Cameron. He'll play on Elliot and do the job just fine.

We'll send Viney over

If only there was some mechanism which would enable us to trade for or draft a suitable backup, hey?

So stop looking at the forecast! 😅

Pies trying to suggest that Nick Daicos will play.

Lucas Cook was sooking it up at his first training session with us. Jeffo had a stinker yesterday but I don’t see him as another Lucas Cook. A recent game where he was moving around the ground, was a very good hint of what is to come and we have already seen examples of his contested marking and accurate kicking for goal.

Says a lot about MethCoast when Gaff and Witherden get in their top 10. Pleased for Hunt though, he has had a solid year.

Some of you did well for Father's Day by the sound of it. All I received were three anonymous cards addressed "To Whom It May Concern".

Are you not entertained? Wow, that was some second half by the Dees. Our skill level and delivery into the forward 50 was the best we’ve seen. And 10 goals to boot! Not surprisingly, the Hot Pies came out with physicality across the board. Star captain Bri Davey threw her weight around like a gladiator racking up 35 positions to be best on ground. Brit Bonicci was coming back from an ACL too and she racked up 17 possessions to also be influential. You could tell at ground level we were not quite matching their intensity and that led to skill errors. Mike Stinear rued those early missed gettable goals which put us on the back foot. Collingwood were up by 14 points midway through the second quarter and Meggs was thinking, is this what a premiership hangover looks like? But no worries. Mick Stinear resets the group at half-time, some astute positional moves, a ratcheting up of the intensity meter, and voila! A scintillating 5-goal third quarter to none, to run away with the 4 points and be top of the ladder. It was inspiring to watch. Yes, entertained. A secret strength seems the evenness of our playing group. Collingwood had 5 players who had more than 10 possessions whereas Melbourne had 13 such players. Remember that quarters have been extended to 17 minutes plus time on, with rotations restricted to 70 so fitness is another factor, especially late in quarters. Special mention: Shelley Heath with 11 possessions and 11 tackles, ran with and limited Bri Davey’s influence in the second half and helped herself to 2 opportunistic goals. What a star! Other mentions: Kate Hore was everywhere with 6 marks and a Captain’s goal. Lily Mithen was full of energy around the ground, Purcell, Paxy and Mackin too. Eliza MacNamara’s second half for her first game for a year was super. She nailed an incredible inside 50 bullet pass to Hore for her goal. Our tall forwards provided lots of great leads and marked well with Bannan (3 goals), Zanker (2.3) and Harris (1.2). Harris also had 7 marks and got to many contests competing well. Ikon Park always has such a nice vibe. Arriving early, you could see the ground steadily filling, eventually with 8,412 people. It was great to see Kate Roffey and Daisy Pearce there to unveil the Demons Season 7 premiership flag and then we were sung to by Australian legend Missy Higgins. Kate promised big things for Melbourne in Season 8 and thanked all supporters with special praise for the DeeArmy. Their banner celebrating vice-captain Tyla Hanks’ 50th game was amazing. Hanksy played her part too with her usual gameday awesomeness and celebrating her milestone with a crushing win. In terms of the game: Q1 Kate Hore wins the toss. Good omen. We notice Razor Ray is out there with his whistle. Awesome. Melbourne has the better of the opening minutes and a couple of near misses from Harris, Zanker and Sherriff. Highlights reel Alyssa Bannan gets the opening goal of the match with a nice assist from Eliza Mac. Collingwood pushing forward. Our defenders look under pressure. Purcell is adjudged to be holding the ball and Makala Cann kicks truly for the Pies first goal. Davey, Bonicci, Brazill are getting on top, laying some big tackles and the Pies get another goal via Tarni Brown. ¼ time: Dees 1.4.10 Pies 2.0.12 Q2 Within 2 minutes of the start of play the Pies get another goal off the back of a thumping inside 50 entry from Davey when Morris-Dalton kicks it off the ground. Moments later Sabreena Frederick for the Pies has a snap in the goal square but kicks it like Joe Daniher and somehow misses the unmissable. A lucky break for the Dees! Davey then earns a holding the ball free kick in the goal square and duly converts. Pies up by 13 points and getting on top. Mick sends Kate Hore to defence, and she immediately marks and repels a Pies forward entry. Eliza James, a Collingwood forward, is off with an ankle injury. Unfortunately, she doesn’t return. Second-gamer Georgia Campbell takes a contested mark in the goal square and converts. She was a Father-Daughter selection with pick 41 in the 2021 AFLW draft and her Dad, Adrian, played 2 games for the Dees in 1993. ½ time: Dees 2.7.19 Pies 4.3.27 Q3 Melbourne starts brightly with some fast ball movement where Zanker takes control of the footy in the goal square and nicely executes an overhead kick for a goal. That’s how you do it Sabreena. Next a scintillating passage of play begins deep in the backline and ends up with Shelley Heath running into an open goal. The Dees are in front as teammates gather around Heathy. Eliza Mac then intercepts and hits up Kate Hore with that sublime inside 50 pass and Captain Kate goes bang, slotting it perfectly above the goal umpire’s head. Momentum is with the Dees as now as Harris intercepts an errant Magpie handpass to kick the fourth goal of the quarter. Under two minutes now and Harris takes another contested mark in the inside 50 and centres her kick where Banno takes a Mark of the Day and goes back and goals. Banno can now add contested marking to her impressive bouncing, goal scoring and celebrating CV. Less than 30 seconds to go and Hanks steals the ball from Davey to hit Harris on the lead but in an anticlimax, her after-the-siren shot hits the post. No matter. The Dees have turned the pie warmer off and the Pies have gone cold. They’re no chance from here. Collingwood coach Steve Symonds said the Pies missed the ‘run’ of their injured first choice defenders Ruby Schleicher and Lauren Butler. Our tall forwards have certainly dominated. ¾ time: Dees 7.11.19 Pies 4.4.28 Q4 The Pies only score 3 points for the quarter as the Dees dominate and kick 3 goals 2 points. Heath creates something from nothing from a ball up for her second goal. What a game she’s having! Zanker then marks strongly and goes banana on her left foot for her second goal. Sherriff marks inside 50 and then unselfishly handballs to a running Banno for her third goal. It’s game over. Full time: Dees 10.13.73 defeated Pies 4.7.31 If you’re one of those people who say women’s footy is not skillful or entertaining enough for you, please watch the highlights of the third quarter and see if you still feel that way. Coaches and next week Melbourne Coach Mick Stinear said the group started well but didn’t convert early and became concerned when Collingwood got on top. He felt it was an attractive game to watch with both teams having ascendency at various times. When asked, he said Melbourne was conservative with the new AFLW rotation rule limit of 60 interchanges. Collingwood coach Steve Symonds said Melbourne was a really good team last year and have gone up another level this year. When their pressure dropped off, Melbourne was able to get their run-on gaming going and they’re hard to stop. He is a fan of the longer quarters. Next week we take on GWS at Manuka Oval, Canberra on Sunday September 10 at 5:05pm. MELBOURNE 1.4.10 2.7.19 7.11.53 10.13.73 COLLINGWOOD 2.0.12 4.3.27 4.4.28 4.7.31 GOALS MELBOURNE Bannan 3 Heath Zanker 2 Campbell Harris Hore COLLINGWOOD Brown Cann Davey Morris-Dalton BEST MELBOURNE Hanks Bannan Purcell Zanker Heath Hore COLLINGWOOD Davey Bonnici Rowe Cann Morris-Dalton Brazill INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil COLLINGWOOD James (ankle) Brazill (nose) UMPIRES Chamberlain Devenish Simmonds CROWD 8,412 at Ikon Park

Contest and defence fall apart in the wet? Interesting.

I was about to post the same thing. How do you reckon the Pies run and carry goes on the wet? We’re about to grind out 3 wins and take home the Flag. Rain ain’t stopping that.

Well then tell him not to ride his knees into Gawn's back at every opportunity

Gorgeous weather this weekend means ticking off some of the outdoor chores that have been waiting to get done. Managed to wash down all the white weatherboards and sash windows, mow the lawn and plant some stipa arundinacea perennial grass in the garden which should look great by next autumn. Time to get some rays now before the working week begins. Definitely a fan of the pre finals bye.

Eden Zanker. Third quarter I think.

I wartched the last half of KB yesterday afternoon. I advise everyone who doubts us to do the same. What struck me was how useless Cameron was in the ruck, how Cox - despite the knees up approach -could no way keep up with Max. AND the valuable contribution Grundy made that day, both rucking and around the ground. If he's in next week I won't be too upset.

It is awfully harsh to judge him on the one game! If you look at his entire first season for Casey in the VFL he played a number of promising games. Once he gets fitter and stronger the young fella will be fine.

Because MFC have told him the experiment hasn't worked and that they are going to trade him?

Kid needs a couple of preseasons, no point judging a rookie. It will all come down to how hard the kid wants to work to be the best he can be, and that takes time. I mean look at JVR, probably way in front of him in terms of physical development but still has a way to go.

Our forward line next year will be Petty, JVR, Fritsch, Smith, Pickett, Chandler, Spargo, ANB, Laurie, AMW,.....it's very very strong Our defence will be May, Lever, Rivers, McVee, Turner, Salem, Bowey, Howe, Our midfield will be Gawn, Oliver, Viney, Petracca, Brayshaw, Sparrow, Langdon, Hunter, Woewodin, Add to this list some high draft picks and as long as we can keep Gawn and May on the park or learn to cover them we're in a very strong position.

My left leg has been playing up so all signs point to a dry spell.

Best way I can put it is that Gold Coast already have the points they need to match bids for all their academy players. If they choose to, they could keep pick 4 and match a bid at pick 2. Won't matter either way to them. So why would gold coast hand a rival a premium pick without any benefit to them? Remembering we couldn't crack a top 5 pick last year even with an offer if 3 x first round picks. That's why people are suggest combinations of 15, 24, 34 and F1 etc. Covers their academy bid points for this year while adding an attracive pick for next year to make it worth their while. Presumably they will have further academy players coming through in 2024 so they are further incentivised to add draft capital for the future.

Hnmmmm yep, zero possesions in a game ? Right Ok. He would be hurting and I know his mates and footy club will get around him. OK lets move on ! Jason Taylor doesnt pick duds and he has played some excellent footy this year.I say WELL DONE young man you may not have won the battle, but I have faith he will win the war!

Thanks Supreme. ".. Many of you will be familiar with Geoff Porz, who has deep connections to the club as a 40+ year member, Foundation Legend and founding member of the Inner Sanctum. Geoff brings strong knowledge and experience in property, infrastructure and facility development, having developed assets in excess of $1.4 billion. " Is Geoff the man who will finally lead us to a piece of promised land, for a true home facility? Many false dawns, but forever optimistic.

Sunk cost. We won’t try to make it work - this is a QF. Win this and we are on the right side of the draw to Port at the G for a chance to go to a GF. It didn’t work - Gawn can’t make it work - it’s not the end of the world. Let’s pick the best team to win some finals.

Lying by the pool in Sanur, Bali.. 32c and nothing different is forecast for the whole week. A tough life but someone has to prop up the economy here

My gut tells me Pies out in straight sets

Ms Binners jnr loved it. I went with a mate who has a young son who is dead keen on footy, but i think i'm right in saying that was the first AFLW game they had both seen. Both loved it. And i loved it - such an enjoyable vibe and atmosphere and like i said about the two finals there last year felt like a throw back in terms of going to the footy. To be clear though, i really loved the footy played, not just the 'vibe'. Ms binners take was the atmosphere was terrific, and much nicer vibe than at the men's footy. She said she loves that women fans are right into it and cheer and carry on, but it all feels so much less aggro than when blokes, including me, are yelling and screaming. The AFL is really in danger of killing the golden goose. So short sighted to see it as the AFL subsiding AFLW. In reality, over the journey, it will be AFLW that, perhaps not subsidize the AFL but protects it's future. Lets face it, Aussie rules is an indigenous game in what is really a very small market. The only way it survives over the next 50 years is continuing to grow its audience. A unique element of AFL is how many women watch it compared to say soccer in Europe. Participation not only grows the pool of elite players it also grows the audience. Every young women who plays any footy, no matter what level they get to, are going to be AFL fans for life. It has ever been thus - play footy as kid, dream of playing on the MCG in Spring, give up on those dreams and watch footy for the rest of your life. Princess park is just the perfect place for AFLW. The stand and surrounding parkland protect from the wind, the surface is like a golf fairway and the ground is a touch smaller than most. Everyone is raving about how skillful we were in the 3rd quarter. That doesn't happen in the howling wind down at Casey It's a total no brainer - invest in the infrastructure there, make it AFLW HQ and have a game there every single Friday night of the AFLW season. Make it an event vibe like last night, with a real focus on stuff for kids to do - so great to see so many kids just having a ball. Every fan knows there is game there on a Friday night, so just rock up ad know they'll see some good footy. Public transport is brilliant. The shorter quarters mean it is not such a late night for families and the vibe is really family friendly. All the Vic clubs would look forward to their turn for the Friday night special and turn up. Telecast it live on 7. Every Friday night. Make it part of the fabric of a Melbourne weekend at this time of year.

A random selection of their thoughts: I feel like people are putting way too much stock in that King's Birthday game and completely ignoring/forgetting that Melbourne have only beaten us like, twice in 7 or 8 years Melbourne are a good team with a strong midfield which if allowed to dominate the clearances will tear apart our zone defence. It's probably the team I'd least like to meet in a final. In the last 3 games since Petty went down Melbourne have scored 56, 87 & 77 points. Melksham kicked 5 goals in the last two rounds. The absence of these two will be a big advantage for us. But they have a readymade goalkicking KPF just waiting to show off his natural flair in the role he was born to play. Craig McRae likes playing both rucks Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox, but it’s hard to see both playing alongside Dan McStay and Brody Mihocek. The sticking point will be whether the Pies think they have enough aerial power against Demon intercept aces Steven May and Jake Lever. Bottom line for me is that we can shift magnets to match them at contest, but they can’t match our speed. I couldn’t believe they played him after he was limping so badly, when the game was a dead rubber for them. But this is the same team that had Petracca play with a broken shin bone last year. I am saying we can beat them. But their record against us has been solid over two seasons under fly. My point is that so far we haven't demonstrated that we can beat them on system alone They seem to have only about 5 posters? Tumbleweeds are blowing through their board. Last week of the snow season so not entirely unexpected. They have w***ers that post s**t on main board game day thread...mostly non Melbourne Demons games. Pretty sure they lost against Carlton too a couple weeks ago Did they though? Was a goal to Petracca. Carlton are so lucky Yeah I think Melbourne are being really overestimated and Port really underestimated. Melbourne have some great components but big holes and play stodgy footy. They have no forward line and their only means of winning is keeping good opposition to under 70 points. They dominated the game for 3 quarters and because they're conservative and have ordinary forwards - that dominance was nearly all undone on the scoreboard in a 5 minute patch. They'll have to control so much of the match to win. I like our chances of having enough bursts to topple them How much weight do you put in a performance v VFL standard opposition against the totality of a season 🤔 (Ref to Ess game for Ginnivan) Melbourne Controlled the game last time and took our run away whether it was illness through the club or having a bad day this week we need to bring Game A for 4 qtrs. do this and we win. On the ruckman: A few concerns playing Cameron - he isn't a first ruck, Gawn will maul him if he tries to out body him, his form of late has been a shadow of who he was however in saying this seems the coach has a preference of going in with two rucks. Just cannot face Melbourne with Darcy Cameron on his own. That's a truly terrifying thought. If he starts dominating Cameron the way Hickey did in the prelim final without the option of Cox going into the centre bounces (which changed the momentum of that final) then we are making it an even harder task than it already is. The reality is that Coxy should be the centre square ruckman v Gawn. … Unfortunately DC can't get off the ground, probably due to his injury and he'd be better off rucking against Van Rooyen or whoever Melbourne decide is their back up ruckman. There is absolutely no chance that Collingwood goes into a final against Melbourne with one ruckman; Gawn would tear us apart. Cox is safe. Favourites: Look its great to have a lots of guns if you are a tank, but we are a lamborghini built for speed… Certainly weakened by the loss of the Steakhouse Puncheur. He was doing plenty for them in the last half of this year. 7 days til game time. Going to be a long week. I reckon it might be 8 days He'll be right in a few hours. A man ahead of his time. Yeah I wouldn't drop our Ruckman unless we were trying to lose. Massive week coming up and i am already on edge Let the bourbon run free :) So, what are we going to do for the next 2 weeks. I'm tipping a BF pillow fight at some stage About two weeks of reading posters tell other posters that they are idiots and wrong when it comes to team selection ideas is infinitely more likely. We will win by about 3 goals but always nervous when Elliot plays. Hoping there are no magpies feasting in my garden next week!!